Edie’s 102 and as good as new

Edith Holmes celebrated reaching 102 years on Friday, surrounded by friends and staff from St Mary’s Centre for the Community.

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THE secret to a long life is a good game of bingo, according to a 102-year-old New Haw woman who celebrated her birthday at the weekend.

Edith Holmes, or Edie as her friends know her, celebrated her birthday with friends and staff at St Mary’s Centre for the Community on Friday.

They presented her with a bouquet and card to remember her special day. Mrs Holmes presented a bunch of flowers to the Countess of Wessex last year when she visited the centre for its 20th birthday.

Mrs Holmes said: “We had a gorgeous day on Friday and on Saturday we had a big do at Gala Bingo in Woking.

“I didn’t win but I like bingo because it keeps my brain active. The New Haw Club sent me the biggest bunch of flowers you have ever seen. You can’t see my fireplace for flowers, it’s marvellous.”

Mrs Holmes was born in Chertsey in 1905 and moved to New Haw when she married her husband, Charles. They had three children, Pat, Raymond and Ronald.

Mrs Holmes is widowed and has four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren to keep her busy. She worked as a caterer at New Haw School for 25 years.

She is a regular at the silver club at the New Haw Community Centre, as well as at St Mary’s and the New Haw Club in Woodham Lane.

Mrs Holmes added: “I would just like to thank everybody for being so kind to me.”

Donna Banville, assistant manager at the centre in Stream Close, said: “Edie has been coming here for years and when Jackie Russell, St Mary’s manager, asked Edie what the secret of old age was, she put it down to bingo.